Chuck Grassley: “Yesterday, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study on the diabetes drug Avandia. This study…”

“Yesterday, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study on the diabetes drug Avandia. This study concluded Avandia significantly increases the risk of heart attacks, a subject that Senator Baucus and I have been investigating for some months. You will remember that it was back in May that a study in the New England Journal of Medicine first alerted the public of an increased risk of heart attacks from Avandia. When that study was published, Senator Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and I raised concerns that the drugmaker had sought to silence a critic who voiced apprehension about Avandia back in 1999. Remember, this is 8 years ago. At the time, SmithKline Beecham manufactured Avandia. The company later merged with Glaxo Wellcome to form today's GlaxoSmithKline. According to the Wall Street Journal, GlaxoSmithKline said the allegations that the company silenced critics of Avandia were 'absolutely false.' Today I would like to discuss some internal company communications that suggest otherwise.”